As in
all of our hymns, it has “facts” in it that usually based on the
scriptural record, but the meaning is much deeper than facts. Let us feel
the great consolation that this hymn promises.

The
hymn first refers to John the Baptist’s reticence to baptize our
Lord:

Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to
Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. (14) But John forbad him, saying, I have
need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? (15) And Jesus answering said unto him,
Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all
righteousness. Then he suffered him.(Matthew 3:13-15)

Here
we have a marvelous thing! A man (who is holy, and was praised by the Lord as
the greatest born of woman) feels the weight of his mortality, deeply,
completely. Many people met Jesus, but how many showed this kind of
humility? The Apostle Peter comes to mind, who, upon seeing the first great
catch of fish, felt uneasy in the presence of deity and cried out “Depart
from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord!”(Luke 5:8)

We
could do with much more humility. Nothing is accomplished without humility. St
John’s witness accuses us, and we are guilty! We do not fear God as we
should, and because of this, we are blind in many ways.

Despite the Baptist’s protests, the Lord prevails upon him
to baptize Him, and this is because the humble man, even though he knows that
he is nothing, can do anything when he obeys God. If we feel the weight of our
sins, and even great shame, we are “not far from the kingdom of
God”.

The
end of the hymn has the imaginary dialogue where the Savior tells the
Baptist:

“I am come to save
Adam, the first-fashioned man.”

“Adam” is a kind of “code word”
indicating all of humanity. This is the purpose of our Lord’s baptism
– to save humanity. Other hymns for Theophany explore the
“how” of this process. Everything the Lord did had a purpose
– a single. fixed purpose. May we be so fixed on the purpose of our life,
which is only possible because of baptism!